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Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu chnoc faisg air Àird nan Saor air a bheil Tom Eanraig – agus mar a bha na seann daoine a’ creidsinn gum biodh na sìthichean a’ dol ann air an oidhche fo sholas na gealaich. Bha na daoine anns an sgìre sin uaireigin gu math Gàidhealach, ach cha robh sin a’ ciallachadh nach biodh cleachdaidhean Gallta aca cuideachd.

Ann an Nua-chunntas Staitistigeach na h-Alba, tha cunntas ann mu na bhiodh a’ tachairt aig bainnsean anns an sgìre. Bha an t-ùghdar, a sgrìobh an cunntas ann am meadhan an naoidheimh linn deug, a’ cumail a-mach gur e deas-ghnàth Gallta a bh’ ann.

Seo mar a thachair. Mus nochdadh buidheann na bainnse aig an eaglais, bhiodh clann-sgoile na paraiste a’ cur bacadh air beulaibh an dorais mhòir. Chan fhaigheadh duine a-steach gus am biodh fear na bainnse a’ toirt seachad ceithir sgillinn don chloinn airson ball-coise ùr a cheannach. Mura robh e deònach an t-airgead a thoirt seachad, dh’fheumadh e an seann bhall-coise a bhreabadh thar mullach na h-eaglaise.

Mura robh fear na bainnse comasach air am ball a chur thairis air an eaglais, bhiodh cead aig fear de na gillean a bhrògan a thoirt bhuaithe. Agus leigeadh a’ chlann na daoine a-steach don eaglais an uair sin.

Bha cleachdadh Gallta eile aca a bha car annasach. Ann am paraiste Pheitidh is Àird nan Saor, nuair a bha tiodhlacadh ann, bhiodh na daoine a’ ruith don eaglais, an àite a bhith a’ coiseachd ann gu stuama. Bha sin a’ gabhail a-steach luchd-giùlain na ciste. Gu tric, bhiodh an luchd-giùlain fhèin a’ tuiteam air an rathad don eaglais no don uaigh a chionn ’s gun robh iad a’ dol ro luath.

Bha an cleachdadh sin car ainmeil anns na sgìrean eile mun chuairt air Peitidh. Nan tigeadh droch shìde nuair a bhathar a’ toirt ciste-laighe don eaglais, agus nan dèanadh na daoine cabhag air sgàth sin, chanadh feadhainn gun robh iad a’ gabhail Ceum Pheitidh ‘the Petty step’.

Nise, nuair a bha an t-Urramach Iain Grannd a’ sgrìobhadh a chunntais, bha Ceum Pheitidh air a dhol à bith. Bha muinntir Pheitidh, a rèir a’ mhinisteir, a cheart cho mall is modhail aig tiodhlacaidhean ’s a bha an co-chreutairean ann am paraistean eile. Ge-tà, beagan bhliadhnaichean roimhe sin, bha tiodhlacadh aig boireannach aig an robh cliù mar bhana-bhuidseach. ’S e an t-ainm a bh’ oirre Bean Chamshronach nam Peasaireach. Chan eil eadar-theangachadh anns a’ chunntas ann, ach tha mi a’ dèanamh dheth gu bheil e a’ ciallachadh ‘the wife of Cameron of the peas’. Bean Chamshronach nam Peasaireach. Co-dhiù, aig a tiodhlacadh, rinn cuid de na balaich Ceum Pheitidh. 

Dh’ionnsaich mi rudeigin eile mu na daoine anns an sgìre sin. Bha iad gu math eòlach air lus air a bheil cuach Phàdraig no greater plantain – Plantago major. Ach chan e sin an t-ainm a bh’ aca fhèin air an lus. Bha iad a’ gabhail ²õ±ôà²Ô-±ô³Ü²õ air. Ann an sgìrean eile, bhiodh ‘²õ±ôà²Ô-±ô³Ü²õ’ air an ribwort plantain, Plantago lanceolata. Tha na duilleagan air an lus seo nas fhaide is nas caoile na ’n fhear eile. Cleas nan Gàidheal agus nan Gall, bhiodh iad a’ cur cuach Phàdraig – no ²õ±ôà²Ô-±ô³Ü²õ – gu feum air lotan ùra agus seann otharan – ann am Beurla ‘recent wounds and old ulcers’. Slàn-lus, gu dearbh, a bhiodh a’ slànachadh.

Faclan na Litreach: Nua-chunntas Staitistigeach na h-Alba: The New Statistical Account of Scotland; bainnsean: weddings; paraiste Pheitidh: the parish of Petty; an t-Urramach Iain Grannd: Rev. John Grant; a’ slànachadh: healing.

Abairtean na Litreach: mu chnoc faisg air Àird nan Saor air a bheil X: about a hill near Ardersier called X; gum biodh na sìthichean a’ dol ann air an oidhche fo sholas na gealaich: that the fairies would be going there at night under moonlight; nach biodh cleachdaidhean Gallta aca cuideachd: that they wouldn’t also have Lowland customs; a’ cumail a-mach gur e deas-ghnàth Gallta a bh’ ann: maintaining that it was a Lowland custom; bhiodh clann-sgoile na paraiste a’ cur bacadh air beulaibh an dorais mhòir: the schoolchildren of the parish would put a barrier in front of the main door; gus am biodh fear na bainnse a’ toirt seachad ceithir sgillinn don chloinn airson ball-coise ùr a cheannach: until the bridegroom would give the children fourpence to buy a new football; dh’fheumadh e an seann bhall-coise a bhreabadh thar mullaich na h-eaglaise: he would have to kick the old football over the church’s roof; bhiodh cead aig fear de na gillean a bhrògan a thoirt bhuaithe: one of the lads would be allowed to take his shoes from him; nan dèanadh na daoine cabhag air sgàth sin: if the people hurried because of that; a cheart cho mall is modhail aig tiodhlacaidhean ’s a bha an co-chreutairean ann am paraistean eile: just as slow and mannerly at funerals as their fellows in other parishes; bha tiodhlacadh aig boireannach aig an robh cliù mar bhana-bhuidseach: a woman was being buried who had a reputation as a witch; chan e sin an t-ainm a bh’ aca fhèin air an lus: that wasn’t their own name for the plant; bhiodh iad a’ cur cuach Phàdraig gu feum air lotan ùra agus seann otharan: they would put the greater (broadleaf) plantain to use on new wounds and old ulcers; cleas nan Gàidheal agus nan Gall: like the Highlanders and the Lowlanders.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: Chan eil eadar-theangachadh anns a’ chunntas ann: there is (absolutely) no translation in the account. This second usage of ann in a terminal position, as a means of emphasis, is not something you’ll find easily in Gaelic grammars, but it is used idiomatically, at least in some dialects.  

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Seo mar a thachair: this is what happened/how it happened.